


Beautiful Disaster

by winsomepony



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, BDSM, Caning, D/s, Dubious Consent, F/F, Spanking, Whipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2017-11-25 20:34:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/642706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winsomepony/pseuds/winsomepony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"My, my, you’re in quite a predicament. I know that stings, Miss Swan."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Paint It Black](https://archiveofourown.org/works/406033) by [wily_one24](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wily_one24/pseuds/wily_one24). 



> An AU fic in which Emma and Regina are seniors at an all-girls boarding school. Discipline is strict, corporal punishment is common, and Regina and Emma have been enemies for awhile...now Regina has a special interest in Emma that will quickly grow into something neither of them expected. DUB-CON, angst, some harsh scenes ensue, before our lovely ladies find their way to each others' hearts. Note: if you are a person who is triggered, there are elements of this fic that could be triggering for you.
> 
> Also, this fic is inspired by the wonderful fic named above, but this fic is way more AU than that one. There are definitely similar themes, and story development, however.

Emma knocked firmly on the Prefect’s door, though her insides felt anything but firm. She was above Prefect status herself, as Head Girl, but she knew that wouldn’t matter a bit tonight.

“Enter,” she heard Regina’s airy voice from the other side, and allowed herself one deep, steeling breath before she raised a trembling hand to the doorknob and opened it.

Regina stood before her in the casual attire allowed a senior - her khaki pants had been swapped out for flannel ones in her dorm room, and she wore a school sweatshirt to protect herself from the fall chill. She was leaning against her desk, arms supporting some of her weight, her head tipped just slightly to the right as she watched Emma enter, as though she were studying something in a lab.

Two of her cronies, Vicki and Ashley, were sprawled comfortably on the bed. Vicki smirked, and Emma knew that the junior girl was enjoying this immensely after Emma had paddled her so soundly two weeks ago when she’d caught her smoking. Behind the bleachers, no less.

Emma ignored them both, her eyes on Regina as she came fully into the room and closed the door behind her. There was no point in pretending she would be leaving in a moment, much as she wanted to, and there was no point in pretending she was here for anyone but Regina.

“There was something on my door about a room inspection?” Emma made the statement a cool question. Regina’s smile only grew, and she pushed herself gracefully off the desk and turned her back to Emma, making a show of going through papers and finding one.

“Ah, yes,” she said, turning back around and holding the paper up. “I conducted a room inspection this afternoon, and I found three infractions. Of course, as you know, any more than two infractions warrants a trip to my room for a paddling.” Regina’s tone made an attempt at sounding regretful, but her eyes glittered maliciously.

Technically, Regina was correct, assuming the three infractions weren’t complete fabrications. Of course, she was playing havoc with tradition. Senior girls were rarely subject to room inspections, and, as a Prefect herself, Emma had never paddled any girl in her hall for a messy room. _Technically_ , Regina was within her rights to do so, even if the girl in question was the Head Girl. Of course, as Head Girl, Emma had the right to challenge the punishment, and if the Prefect Board, including its staff advisor, sided with her (which, in this case, it almost certainly would), Regina would be subject to a punishment of Emma’s choosing. The system was designed to keep the Prefects from punishing each other frivolously, and in fact, none had ever attempted to punish a Head Girl, either. Until now. But, of course, Regina knew perfectly well that Emma wouldn’t challenge the punishment anyway, and she simply waited silently while Emma came to the same conclusion.

“I’m...sorry to hear that,” Emma said finally, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vicki’s gleefully surprised look that she wasn’t arguing.

“I’m afraid Alex’s name is on here, too, since you’re roommates,” Regina went on in that same not-regretful tone.

“You leave my sister out of this,” Emma flared up at once. Regina didn’t look at all taken aback; if anything, she looked even more pleased.

“I thought you would feel that way. You’re so protective. You’ll be accepting punishment on her behalf, then? I wouldn’t want to be accused of letting someone off just because they are the Head Girl’s little sister.

Emma nodded, forced the word out between clenched teeth. “Yes.”

“Good. That’s _really_ sweet of you. You must care so deeply for her.” Emma felt her jaw muscles aching with the effort to keep silent, but she knew anything else she said would only worsen her predicament, which, in fairness, was bad enough already. She saw a hint of disappointment in Regina’s dark eyes when she didn’t respond, but the brunette shook it off quickly. “Well, let’s get this started then, shall we?”

Emma glanced pointedly at Vicki and Ashley, still sprawled on the bed, having made no move to leave.

“Don’t you usually conduct discipline in private?”

“Oh, usually, yes,” Regina said happily. “But being as you’re a senior and Head Girl, I thought witnesses would be a good idea - both to set an example, and so no one can claim I showed any undue favoritism toward you.”

Emma choked back a laugh at the idea of Regina favoring her, under any circumstances, and rolled her eyes instead.

“Right,” she said. “Let’s get this done.” Regina’s eyes narrowed at her expression and tone, but Emma moved past her to the desk Regina had cleared off for her. Without waiting to be told, and forcing herself not to hesitate in the slightest, she bent over it, arms pillowing her head, up on her toes just slightly so the edge of the desk was across her hips. It had been years since she’d been across a desk like this for any real discipline (though she and her ex-girlfriend had had some enjoyable role plays) and she’d forgotten how vulnerable it felt. It brought back darker memories, too, from before Academy, and she forced those thoughts firmly from her mind. This experience would be plenty painful on its own.

She felt a brush of cool air as Regina lifted the hem of her skirt and tucked it firmly into the waistband. Every muscle in Emma’s body tensed - she knew what came next - and a moment later felt Regina’s cool fingers slip into the waistband of her painties and pull them right down to her knees. Her breath hissed through her teeth as her feeling of vulnerability increased intolerably. She heard Vicki titter nervously behind her and felt her face flush as she imagined the sight she presented to them. Emma wasn’t remotely surprised when Regina drew the moment out, making another show of looking for her Prefect’s paddle, before scooping it off the bed.

“Ah, here it is!” she announced cheerfully, and returned to Emma, positioning herself on the blonde’s left.

“Now remember, if you stand up at all, or take your hands off the desk, the punishment starts over,” Regina reminded her.

“I’m aware,” Emma said, voice tight. She closed her eyes, wanting nothing more in this moment than for this to be over with.

CRACK!

The sound startled Emma an instant before the pain registered in her backside. _Jesus._ Had the paddle always hurt that bad? She gasped, forcing herself to stay still though every instinct screamed at her to stand up, to fight, and the paddle found its mark again. And again. Regina was using a slow, measured pace, placing each swat exactly where she wanted, hard enough to be sure it was felt. She concentrated primarily on the lower part of Emma’s backside, which only made the occasional blazing swat higher up hurt even more.

After a dozen strokes, Emma couldn’t help the small grunts of pain that escaped her with each blow. They escalated as Regina picked up the pace, placing a hand on Emma’s lower back to brace herself as she turned her body into each blow.

Emma realized she was going to cry an instant before the first sob hiccupped out of her throat. She buried her face in her arms, and Regina paused, allowing her to hope for a brief moment that the paddling was over, that all she’d wanted was to make Emma cry. Regina leaned down to the blonde, close enough that she could feel Regina’s breath tickle the side of her neck.

“My, my, you’re in quite a predicament. I know that stings, Miss Swan,” she said softly, her voice almost gentle. “Your ass is already starting to bruise. You’re going to have a very difficult time sitting in class tomorrow, I think.”

Emma didn’t respond to the taunts. Instead, she used the pause to try to force her breathing to return to normal, hating the helpless tears that continued to spill from her eyes.

“Well, I think that will do for your part of the punishment,” Regina said, standing back up. Her slight emphasis on the word “your” let Emma know they weren’t done yet. “Now, for Alex’s part.”

The paddle cracked down again, and this time there was no finesse, no pausing between strokes. They rained down on her backside in rapid, blistering succession, and Emma’s back and shoulder muscles bunched and knotted as her body and mind struggled to absorb the pain. It was too much, and her sobs began anew, fresh tears falling from her eyes to Regina’s desk.

She managed to keep herself from pleading, but that was the only dignity she could claim when the onslaught stopped a couple of endless minutes later. Her hair blanketed her face, tangled and damp from her tears and sweat. The muscles of her forearms rippled as she fought to regain control of herself, and she couldn’t make the tears stop.

“Stand up,” Regina snapped. She was annoyed. She’d wanted to see Emma beg and plead for mercy while Ashley and Vicki watched. The Head Girl pushed herself up from the desk with little of her usual grace, however, and Regina took a measure of satisfaction in her stiff movement, the way her hands trembled as she pressed them to her sides, the tears that Emma still couldn’t stem. It was a start, at least.

“Well, now,” she crossed in front of Emma, and leaned against her desk again, chest rising and falling as she regained her breath. When she rested her hands on the desk, she felt a jolt of pleasure as her skin registered its wet surface. “Do you think you’ve learned your lesson, Miss Swan?” she asked, unable to keep from circling one finger idly in the small pool of Emma’s tears as she spoke.

Green sparks flashed in Emma’s eyes. “Certainly, Regina. I’ll try not to leave my socks on the floor again.” Her sarcasm was evident, and Regina almost slapped her. The blonde stood before her, half naked and paddled to near-hysteria in front of her peers, and _still_ she had the gall to make smartass remarks? Regina managed to stay her hand by crossing her arms, but the anger glittering in her eyes was unmistakable, and registered as dangerous to all three girls in the room.

“Ash, Vick,” she addressed her friends without taking her eyes off of Emma. “I think I need some time alone with the Head Girl.” They looked disappointed, but neither of them protested; they knew Regina too well to imagine she’d be swayed, especially when she was already irritated.

As the door closed behind them, Regina saw Emma’s shoulders sag slightly with relief. Foolish. Didn’t she know how much more Regina could hurt her in private? She would learn.

“Is it true,” Regina began in a casual voice, “that after you and Alex went to live with your older sister, Alex would wake up screaming at night? That you were the only one who could comfort her?”

Regina watched the emotions play across Emma’s face: green eyes widening, hands going still with surprise, then pupils dilating, fingers clenching with fury, and, finally, horror at the pain Regina could cause with this knowledge. Chest and shoulders dropping in resignation, even as she took a steadying breath and spoke in a voice that gave Regina nothing.

“Yes.”

“And that your stepfather never touched you? All the fucking and the beating was only for Alex, the youngest of all three of you?” Regina’s head tilted slightly as she watched the tension creep back into Emma’s slender frame, the flush that spread across her neck.

“Yes.” The voice was taut with pain and fury.

Regina shifted off her desk and moved closer to Emma, their faces only a few inches apart.

“The counselors say she’s doing better, don’t they? She’s opening up more and more - she even talks in class now sometimes, doesn’t she?” Regina’s tone could have been mistaken for compassion by someone who had never met her. Emma just glared at her through her tears.

“I’d hate to see her re-traumatized, Miss Swan. I’d hate to see rumors flying, and the whole school talking about her stepfather raping her when she wasn’t even ten years old. Girls can be so vicious. I’d hate to see her suffer just because you couldn’t keep your. Smart. Mouth. Shut.” Regina finished, biting the words off in an unforgiving voice.

She watched as Emma’s shoulders sagged, the fight leaving her body, at least for now.

“What do you want, Regina?” she asked, and Regina smiled thoroughly enjoying the meek tone that had finally found its way through Emma’s fiery voice. She took Emma’s chin in her fingers, disregarding the tears that still flowed, and squeezing hard enough that the green eyes winced in pain. But Emma didn’t try to pull away. That much, already, she’d learned.

“From now on, what I want is _all_ that matters to you, Miss Swan. You will come here, every day after classes and make yourself...useful, to me. You will not discipline me or my friends. You will treat me with unfailing courtesy in public, and in private, you will submit to me completely. _That_ is the price of my silence.” She released Emma and stepped back abruptly, crossing her arms and watching the impact of her words sink in, watching the green eyes darken as her demands registered. When Emma looked up again, her eyes were hard, but not particularly defiant.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “But you don’t raise a hand to Alex. Not you, or any of your friends. You don’t touch her.”

The small smile grew on Regina’s face, and she reached up toward the blonde. Emma flinched, but Regina only stroked the last of the tears away with the pad of her thumb.

“Oh, my dear, don’t you know? _You_ are the interesting one.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Miss Swan...Are you aroused by this?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains DUB-CON, paddling, forced submission, DUB-CON SEXUAL ACTIVITY. If you have issues that can be triggered, please be cautious!

“No.” Alex’s voice was flat and her arms were crossed defiantly. It was a tone of voice she never used outside their room, and Emma knew that if anyone besides she and Casey were in the room, Alex would not share her opinion so boldly, even now. But in the months last year that Emma and Casey had dated, Alex had gotten used to the redhead, and seemed grateful that Emma and Casey had stayed so close after they broke up. Now, however, Emma couldn’t help but wish Alex were just a little more intimidated.

“What do you mean, ‘no’? I’ve already agreed!” Emma shot back from where she was sprawled on her stomach on her bed. It had been less than an hour since her trip to Regina’s dorm room, and Casey and Alex had ambushed her with questions as soon as she’d returned.

“I don’t care what you agreed to. That bitch isn’t torturing you over me.”

“What choice do we have?” Emma said, frustrated. She was raw, physically and emotionally and didn’t have the strength to argue. “Casey? Explain it to her!” Casey looked back and forth between the two sisters, but shook her head, biting her lip.

“I think Alex is right, Em. She’ll torture you. And she won’t stop. And there’s no guarantee she won’t spread the rumors all over school anyway.”

“She won’t. We have a deal.” Both Alex and Casey looked at her incredulously.

“You really trust her to keep some deal?” Alex asked.

“Yes, I do. But even if I didn’t,” she waved them off before they could protest. “She won’t tell anyone, because she enjoys hurting me too much.” She dropped her eyes at this, though she didn’t know why the words made her feel so ashamed.

“No,” Alex said flatly again. But Casey was watching Emma carefully.

“I think you should tell someone. A teacher, or your sister. She’d be expelled for sure.”

“no way. Expelling her won’t keep her from telling. Everyone. She has details, Case. Personal, specific details.” Emma looked imploringly at the redhead. Casey had been there when she and Alex started school here. more than anyone, she knew how far Alex had come, and how deep Emma’s guilt and protectiveness ran toward Alex. She saw Casey’s features soften with this knowledge, and she nodded.

“Emma’s right, Alex,” Casey said quietly, leaving her spot by Emma’s side and moving to halt Alex’s pacing.

Alex allowed the hand on her shoulder that she would have tolerated from very few others.

“She wants to hurt Emma more than you. I think she’ll keep the deal.”

“I don’t care!” Alex snapped, near tears. “I’d rather she told everyone! It’s not fair!”

“How much more do you think it would hurt Emma to see that happen? To be unable to protect you...again?” Casey’s words were soft and she half expected one of the sisters to throw her from the room, regardless of how close she was to them.

“I hate it,” Alex said, shoulders slumping.

“Me too. But you know how stubborn Emma is when it comes to you.” They both turned to Emma again and she ran a hand through her blonde hair, brushing it out of her eyes.

“Well, I’m not crazy about it myself!” she responded, and the tension eased as the three shared a chuckle.

* * * *

Emma found herself outside Regina’s door after class the next day. Her day had been completely miserable. The bruises on her ass were deep into the muscle - the only thing more painful than walking was sitting. She’d been reprimanded sharply in British Lit, which was normally one of her favorite classes, because of her lack of attention and constant fidgeting. Head Girl or no, she was pretty sure that at least two of her instructors had been tempted to call her up to the front of the class for a couple of sharp swats; she was profoundly grateful they had not.

Breaks had been no better. It seemed the entire school knew that she’d been paddled by Regina yesterday (Ashley and Vicki’s doing, no doubt) and the consensus seemed to be that she hadn’t contested it because her infraction was so severe that she knew she’d lose if she did. Her head of house had called her into her office during lunch for a scathing rebuke about setting a good example that had left Emma near tears.

Now, finally, the school day was over, but instead of relaxing in her dorm room, perhaps indulging in the senior privilege of television, she was here again, stomach knotting as she wondered what further misery Regina had in store for her.

At the brunette’s response to her knock, Emma opened the door and stepped inside the room again, trying to decide if she was grateful that Ashley and Vicki weren’t present.

Regina was sprawled on the bed, once more in casual attire, flipping idly through a magazine.

“Strip,” she ordered, as soon as the door had closed behind Emma. Emma froze, staring at her.

“What?” she said dumbly. Regina’s idle flipping stopped abruptly. She set the magazine down and pushed herself off the bed. In two short strides she had reached the blonde and she slapped her, hard, across the face. She didn’t watch Emma’s response, but with that same casual grace, grasped the collar of Emma’s button down shirt and yanked it open down the front of her.

“Hey! Don’t -!” Emma reached a hand up to stop her, and Regina backhanded her, hard enough to force the smaller girl back a step, anger and tears filling her eyes. Regina closed the distance and yanked Emma’s skirt, tearing the button off and ripping it halfway down the seam.

“Can you finish the rest, or shall I?” she asked calmly, though her chest rose and fell with the exertion of her actions. Emma was breathing heavily as well, in shock and pain, one hand on the cheek that had gotten the back of Regina’s hand.

“I’ll do it,” she grated. Regina nodded and moved back to the bed.

“Don’t ever make me repeat myself to you, Miss Swan. That was your first - and only - warning.” She picked up the magazine again, not bothering to watch as Emma forced her trembling fingers to finish undoing the few buttons that hadn’t been ripped off. Within a few moments, Emma was nude, standing awkwardly in front of Regina, who was still apparently ignoring her. Girls at the Academy frequently changing in front of each other - for gym or in the communal showers - and Emma wasn’t a virgin, but this felt different, hostile. Several smart remarks hovered on the tip of her tongue, but her cheek (and her ass, for that matter) hurt plenty for the moment.

Finally, Regina set down the magazine and looked up at Emma again. It wasn’t easy, keeping a bored look on her face as she did so. Much as she detested the Head Girl, she had to admit that her flat abs and slender arms were attractive. And she had a great rack. Regina allowed her eyes to trail luxuriously up and down the planes of Emma’s body, and she felt her pulse quicken every time the girl squirmed anxiously, reminding Regina of the hold she had over her.

“Turn around.” Her voice was perfectly modulated, and Emma hesitated only a moment before obeying, and presenting her back to Regina. Regina was glad she didn’t have to control her face now, and smiled at the deep, colorful bruising she’d left on Emma’s ass the evening before.

“Bend over,” she said, placing a hand on Emma’s shoulder to guide her. She heard Emma’s soft gasp at the order and felt the muscles under her hand tense, but the girl offered little resistance as Regina pushed her upper body over, presenting her ass nicely and stretching the tender muscles there.

“Mmm, were you sore today?” Regina asked coolly as she ran her nails firmly down the bruised skin. It was an intimate gesture, and Emma’s whole body shuddered in response.

“Very,” she answered in a strained voice.

“Good.” Regina nudged Emma’s shoulder and the blonde righted herself quickly. “My Calculus homework is on the desk. Sit there and get it done.” Regina turned away, stretching herself back out on the bed. She glanced back at Emma, and saw that the Head Girl was staring at her in surprise. Regina’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“If I have to get up again, you’re going to hurt. Badly.”

“I - I can’t cheat for you!” Emma managed. Regina’s eyes hardened as she stood from the bed once again, but she moved with deceptive slowness.

“Do you have a learning disability that I’m unaware of?” she asked softly.

“Wh-No?” Emma stammered, caught off guard.

“A hearing problem, then?”

“No.” A sinking feeling in Emma’s stomach as she guessed where Regina was headed.

“So, is the problem here that you want to hurt badly, or that you don’t think I’ll hurt you?”

“I - neither, I just...I don’t want to cheat,” Emma repeated, feeling foolish. Regina arched an eyebrow at her.

“Miss Swan, I don’t give a single. Solitary. Fuck. What you want.” She punctuated her words with measured steps toward Emma, and the blonde fought the urge to step back. “I don’t imagine you wanted any of this. But unless I see a drastic improvement in your attitude, what I’ve done to you so far is going to seem like a walk in the park.”

Emma bit her lip, clearly hesitant still, and with a growl, Regina took her by the upper arm, squeezing harshly, and pulled her to the chair. Instead of sitting her in it, however, she bent Emma over the back of it, delivering a sharp swat to her bruised ass when the blonde squirmed.

“Ow! Please, Regina, I’m sorry, I’ll do it. I’ll do your homework, okay?”

“I know you’ll do it, Miss Swan. This is for making me get up, and for not obeying me immediately.”

Now that she had her there, however, Regina shifted back slightly, considering. Brute pain would go a long way towards securing obedience, she knew, but that was only part of what she wanted.

To have the Head Girl, adored by the students and faculty, beloved older sister to the damaged Alex, humbled and compliant was a heady feeling. But Regina wanted more. Something in her wanted to drive all that protective, whimpering goodness out of the other girl, once and for all.

She couldn’t deny the warmth between her legs as her gaze lingered on Emma, bruises on her ass and upper thighs, muscles quivering plainly as the blonde fought an internal battle not to stand up. The warmth between Regina’s legs heightened considerably as she noticed something else.

“Miss Swan,” she said in a low voice, stepping forward again. “Are you aroused by this?” the evidence was in front of Regina, gleaming from Emma’s legs, though she couldn’t deny her surprise at the revelation. She slapped Emma’s ass firmly when she didn’t respond immediately.

“Answer me, Miss Swan,” she ordered.

“I...yes.” Regina could hear the shame clouding the words and her smile spread. She dragged her nails lightly up Emma’s sore ass again, then slid her fingers through the wetness between her legs. She bit back a gasp at the feel of it, and couldn’t help slipping the tip of one finger deeper into Emma’s folds. Emma grunted, a deep sound low in her throat, and actually pushed back onto Regina’s finger. Regina removed it at once, both surprised at the response and unwilling to give Emma anything she hadn’t earned.

“Ah ah, Miss Swan,” she said coolly, not admitting, even to herself, how hard that was at this moment. She glanced down at her fingers; they were all but dripping from the moisture Emma had produced. She held them up to the blonde’s face. “You got my fingers all wet. Clean them.” Emma stared at the proffered hand for a moment, and Regina watched a dark flush creep up the skin of her neck as understanding set in. After only a moment, Emma opened her mouth obediently.

Regina could tell at once this wasn’t Emma’s first time doing this. The blonde’s tongue slid through her fingers greedily, despite her obvious embarrassment. After a moment, Regina removed them and wiped the excess moisture on her jeans. It was either that or she would have to put her other hand down her own pants, and she wasn’t ready for that.

“Better,” she said, forcing her voice to remain steady. Without another word, she turned from Emma, back to the bed. She made sure to make noise as she plopped back down and opened her magazine, letting Emma stew with desire and humiliation. She waited, letting the tension rise in the room, knowing it wouldn’t be long.

“Um, Regina?” Emma’s voice was timid and full of wanting - everything Regina had hoped for, but that didn’t keep her from springing off the bed, scooping up the paddle on her way to Emma, and twisting one hand in her hair until the blonde gasped.

“Did I give you permission to speak, Miss Swan?” Regina asked.

“I - no.”

“Count.”

She gave Emma five of the hardest swats she’d ever given with the paddle, driving pleasure from the other girl’s mind with blunt pain that left her sobbing and limp. Regina stepped back again, releasing Emma’s hair. “Now you may sit down and do my homework.”

Her voice was even, because she forced it to be. She knew she’d be spending time with her vibrator tonight and that this moment - the lovely Emma helpless and sobbing brokenly - would feature prominently in her fantasies.

She watched as Emma carefully pushed herself up from the back of the chair, then lowered herself onto its unforgiving surface with obvious reluctance. Regina allowed herself the luxury of stroking down Emma’s hair once, feeling its damp tangles between her fingers, and Emma’s accompanying shudder.

“Good girl,” she murmured softly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Then I guess we'll do something I want, instead."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags continue to apply. This gets a bit darker before it gets better! As stated at the beginning, if you are triggered by trauma, there are triggery situations in here!

Emma’s world had turned into a nightmare. She stumbled back to her room after an evening with Regina, and could only avoid Alex’s eyes and tentative questions while she struggled to do her own homework before dropping into bed.

In all fairness, most nights weren’t nearly as miserable as the first two had been. if Regina was alone when she got there, she learned quickly to strip at once, and kneel by the bed, waiting for instructions. If one of Regina’s friends was there, she just stood in the doorway waiting for instructions.

She almost always spent the first few minutes bent over the chair, the bed, or the desk, being paddled or fondled. Sometimes Regina just made her describe the touching she wanted, made her beg for it, which Emma did. Then Emma did Regina’s homework, cleaned her room, or just spent a couple hours kneeling on the floor, hoping the brunette didn’t get creative.

Within 2 weeks, she found herself bent over her science instructor’s desk during class, being paddled (over her underwear, thank God) for failing to turn in her homework. This had earned her another trip to her Head of House’s office, where she was reduced to tears by the older woman’s unforgiving disappointment. Miss Gannar had given her three strokes with the tawse on her palm before sending her back to her room, the rebuke still echoing in Emma’s ears.

Finally, it was the third Friday of the month, the day she and Alex had a standing appointment with their older sister and legal guardian. While Emma normally looked forward to these visits, she found herself dreading it tonight. 

Liz was amazing, and if not for her intervention, Emma knew she and Alex would still be with their stepfather. Liz was normally the one Emma would go to with, well, anything. But she couldn’t talk to Liz about this, and she knew Liz would pry. 

The sisters were quiet in the car from school to Liz’s. The window between them and the driver was up, so Emma knew they had privacy.

“Remember, not one word to Liz, Alex,” she reminded her sister. Alex frowned and looked out the window.

“I remember. I think you’re wrong, completely wrong, not to tell her, but I remember.”

“You know Liz wouldn’t let it go, Lexi,” Emma used Alex’s nickname fondly. “She’d have to _do_ something about it.”

“Exactly,” Alex said. “She’d figure out a way to...fix it.” Emma shook her head. Alex viewed Liz as a bit of a hero. Twelve years older than Emma, Liz had been out of the house by the time their mother had married their stepfather, so she’d never had to suffer his abuse. And after their mom had died, when she’d found out what he was doing, she’d fought tooth and nail to get custody of them. But now Emma shook her head.

“There’s nothing anyone could do that would keep Regina from talking. Nothing.”

“So you keep getting tortured just so kids at school don’t talk about me,” Alex said bitterly.

Emma put a hand on her arm as the car slowed in front of Liz’s house.

“No. I let Regina do this, so I don’t have to be tortured by watching you suffer again, Lexi.” Emma’s voice was soft, pleading, and Alex’s shoulders slumped in resignation.

“I know it was bad for you, watching what D-what he did to me,” Alex said, broaching a subject they seldom discussed. “You don’t talk about it much, but I think, in some ways, it was worse for you than me.” She paused then, and Emma didn’t know what to say that could possibly reassure her. 

“I won’t tell Liz if you don’t want me to,” Alex continued. “But I think it’s a bad idea, and I don’t like keeping stuff from her.”

“Me either,” Emma said with a sigh as the car pulled up the drive, and she saw their older sister come out to greet them.

Liz stepped out onto the porch and Alex jumped from the car without waiting for the driver to open her door. Emma couldn’t help a small, wistful smile as she followed Alex more slowly, watching as Alex nearly knocked Liz over with a hug.

Liz smiled at Emma over Alex’s shoulder, but Emma could see the concern reflected in the older woman’s green eyes. The eyes - and the look of concern - reminded Emma forcibly of their mother, but she pushed the thought away and was glad to escape the look by giving Liz a hug as well. She wished she could share Alex’s belief that Liz could fix anything. 

Liz pulled back and studied Emma’s face for a moment. Emma tried to smile, and couldn’t. It didn’t matter, because Liz’s eyes had dropped, and she ran her hands down Emma’s arms before taking her left hand and turning it palm up so she could see it. Emma started to pull back instinctively, but it was too late: Liz had seen the bright red welts criss-crossing Emma’s palm.

“Miss Gannar called me,” Liz said, frowning. “Looks like she went kinda hard on you.”

“She called you?” Emma gulped. As gentle as Liz had been with them both after getting them away from their stepfather, Emma knew Liz took their education and behavior seriously, and had little tolerance for either of them getting into trouble at school.

“We’ll talk about it inside,” Liz said firmly, guiding them into the warmth of the house and shutting the door behind them. “Dinner’s about ready.”

Within a few minutes, the three sisters were seated around the dining room table, which the housekeeper had laid and filled with a chicken and rice dish that was Alex’s favorite. Emma normally enjoyed it as well, but found she had little appetite tonight.

“So,” Liz began once they’d filled their plates, and Alex, at least, had begun eating. “Care to tell me why you got paddled in one class, and Miss Ganner was so disappointed with your explanation that she tawsed your hand?” Liz’s voice was unyielding, and Emma felt her cheeks heat at the blunt summation of her week.

“It was nothing,” she mumbled.

“Nothing?” Liz arched an eyebrow at her. I can see why she was unimpressed with your response.” Emma felt her face heat even more. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled, dropping her eyes. “I’ve just been...distracted. And I forgot to get my homework done, so Mr. Howell spanked me. And, since I’m Head Girl, Miss Gunnar felt like I was setting a bad example, so...” she let her voice trail off.

“Miss Gunnar says this isn’t the first time you’ve been in trouble the last few weeks. She pulled a report on your recent grades, and they’ve dropped significantly, all across the board. So what, exactly, is going on?” Liz’s green eyes bored into Emma.

“I..nothing, Liz. I’ve just been distracted...and busy.”

“Does this have anything to do with a...Regina Mills?” Alex dropped her fork noisily. Emma stared at Liz, her face paling.

“W-What do you mean?” She could see Liz watching her through narrowed eyes, and looked away again, struggling to act unconcerned.

“Miss Gunnar said you’ve been spending a lot of time with her lately. And that Miss Mills is not the best influence.”

“She’s a Prefect,” Emma said defensively, and caught a strange look from Alex.

“And is she the reason you’ve been...distracted?”

The blood rushed back to Emma’s face, and she refused to look at either of her sisters.

“Not...no.”

There was a pause long enough that Emma knew Liz was well aware she wasn’t telling the full truth. 

“You’re old enough to choose who you date, Emma,” Liz said with a sigh, choosing not to pursue the line of questioning any further. “But I won’t have your social life interfering with your grades. Fix it, or I’ll come up to the school and deal with you myself - I don’t care if you’re seventeen. Clear?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Emma mumbled, knowing Liz would make good on her threat if she felt it was warranted. It was not a scenario she cared to contemplate, and it wasn’t like Liz to be quite so harsh, but then, it wasn’t like Emma to get in trouble at school or lie to her older sister about it.

“Good,” Liz replied simply, and steered the conversation to other topics.

The rest of dinner passed pleasantly enough - one thing Emma had learned to appreciate about Liz was that once she felt she’d made her point, she didn’t harp on it. When Liz walked them to the door a couple of hours later, though, she gave Alex a quick hug before sending her to the car. She held Emma back a moment, hugged her, then pulled back to study her again. Emma had clearly lost weight, and Liz could tell from the circles around her eyes that she wasn’t sleeping much or well.

“I meant what I said about coming up to the Academy, Em,” She said softly.

“I know.” Emma’s voice was little more than a whisper. She hated feeling like she was letting Liz down.

“But I’m also just worried about you. You know you can always talk to me. About anything.”

“I know,” Emma repeated, but with more warmth. “I’m sorry, Liz, really. I’ll...do better. I promise.” 

Liz smiled a little, though she could tell Emma was still keeping things back.

“Okay, then. Let me know if you girls need anything.” Emma nodded and turned. Liz watched her go, knowing that something was off, that even Emma’s _walk_ was different, and knowing there was no point in pushing her further. She just hoped she wouldn’t have to go to the school and make good on her promise.

* * * *

"You know, if Liz does find out why your grades have been slipping, we're both going to get it," Alex sighed as opened the door to their dorm room an hour later. Emma let out a soft sigh of her own. Her ass hurt from bruising atop bruising, and her whole body ached from the hours she spent in Regina's room and the rest of the hours she spent trying to hide her soreness. Hiding from Liz was the toughest of all, and she was exhausted. She came up short as she realized Alex had stopped in the doorway, stooping over to pick something up off the floor.

"Alex, what-" she began, but Alex turned to her, a look of dismay evident on her face, and she clutched a paper to her chest.

"No. Not tonight. She can't. You can't go." But her eyes were far more pleading than demanding, and Emma slipped the paper out from between her fingers easily. She recognized Regina's handwriting at once.

_"My room. As soon as you return, Miss Swan."_

Emma sighed again, knowing a miserable night was about to get worse. She forced a tremulous smile for Alex that she knew fooled neither of them.

"At least I had most of the evening away."

It was only a few minutes later that Emma found herself again at the now-familiar Prefect's door. She knocked and Regina's response sounded even more pleased than usual. She had closed the door behind her and her hands were automatically going to the buttons on her shirt to undo them, when she caught sight of the extra person in the room and she froze, breath catching. Casey sat on Regina's bed, looking manifestly unhappy, and more uncertain than Emma had ever seen her.  
Regina arched an eyebrow at her. It was enough to get Emma's hands moving again, despite her brain screaming at her to do otherwise. She had spent enough time with Regina by now to know better than to disregard that look. Her fingers trembled as she undid the buttons of her shirt.

"W-what are you doing here, Casey?" She asked. 

"Regina...invited me. She said if I didn't want Alex retraumatized..." Casey's voice was full of loathing, and it made Emma shiver to hear someone speak like that. She wanted to warn Casey to be more respectful, and glanced quickly at Regina, but the brunette still seemed quite pleased at this new twist in her game. Emma's shirt was undone, now, but she made no move to shrug it off.

"Miss Swan." Regina's voice was a low, soft warning, and Emma knew she wouldn't get another. She hurried to strip off her shirt and bra, then undid her skirt. She tried to focus only on her breathing as she folded the clothes and left them by the door, Casey's eyes heavy on her naked skin. She had nothing to do with her hands, then, and anxious and uncertain with no further instructions forthcoming, she clasped them in front of her and dropped her gaze to the floor. She could feel a flush creeping up her neck. Casey had certainly seen her naked before, but there were any number of things Regina could have in mind, and none of them were something Emma wanted Casey to witness.

"Over the chair, Miss Swan." Emma's feet were moving even before she'd fully registered the command. She didn't look at Casey, but lowered her body over the back of the chair, going up on her toes so her ass was presented high in the air, and gripping the seat tightly with her hands. It was the position Regina required of her, and deviating had painful consequences. She ducked her head, though, feeling more ashamed than she had since her second day in this room. She could feel the wetness begin at once, even with the humiliation of Casey watching.

"So, what would you like to see me do with her?" Regina asked Casey in a lazy voice.

"Let her go," Emma heard Casey's tight voice. "Stop hurting her." Regina let out a light laugh and Emma couldn't suppress a shudder.

"Stop hurting her? But she likes it. Didn't you ever discover that when you were dating? Or were you just gentle with her all the time? No wonder you two broke up.” Regina moved closer to Emma as she spoke, and stroked a hand down the blonde’s quivering flank.

“I’m perfectly aware of what she likes,” Casey said angrily.

“Good. Then nothing tonight should be a surprise to you.”

She began slapping Emma’s ass, almost gently with her hand. Regina kept it so sore all the time now, that even these light smacks had Emma squirming, but a quick downward exploration between slaps showed Regina how wet Emma was as well. After a couple harder swats that caused Emma’s breath to hiss with pain, Regina stopped.

“She likes it, Casey. But then, you know that. And it’s obvious, isn’t it?” As she spoke, Regina slid one finger easily into Emma, her own breath hitching slightly at the warmth she found there. Emma had gotten too comfortable with their routine, and so had Regina. She knew that making Emma’s humiliation more public would remind the blonde whose she was. Regina didn’t stop to figure out when Emma had stopped being “her toy” and started being just “hers.”

Emma couldn’t help the small moan that escaped her as Regina penetrated her, even though she knew she might be punished for it. She refrained, just barely, from driving her hips back into Regina’s touch, only because she shied away from the thought of Casey seeing her wantonness.

“Something you want, Miss Swan?” she heard Regina ask softly, and she knew the other girl wanted to hear her beg as she had on so many other occasions, for a release they both knew Regina wouldn’t grant. She felt Regina’s fingers slide inside her again, felt them curl, and knew she had to steer her down another path, or risk being completely undone in front of Casey.

“No.” She forced her voice to be flat, knowing Regina would recognize it for the rebellion it was. “Nothing.”

“I see.” Regina’s voice was cold, and she withdrew her fingers at once. Emma felt herself tremble, both at the ice in Regina’s voice and the loss of physical contact. “Then I guess we’ll do something I want, instead.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Pain, or pleasure, Miss Swan?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A darker chapter, probably the darkest, before we start to see some light. :) If you are triggered by stuff, well, there's triggery stuff in here.

Emma heard her open a dresser drawer, and forced herself to stay in position, not to look around. She didn’t have to wait long. She heard Casey’s gasp, and a moment later Regina laid a long, many-tailed flogger on the desk in front of her.  
“What the fuck, Regina!” Casey exclaimed. “That isn’t a toy!”

“I don’t intend to play with it,” Regina replied, but Emma could feel Regina’s gaze on her own skin - Casey was just the audience. Emma, for her part, couldn’t take her eyes off the flogger. The tails were slender and knotted, the leather clearly supple. No, it wasn’t a toy. It was designed for one purpose: to cause pain. She felt tears prick her eyes.

“You can’t do this, Regina. If you think I’m just going to stand by and-”

“You’ll do what I ask, unless you want to destroy both the Swan sisters,” Regina overrode Casey easily. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll give her a choice. Pain, or pleasure, Miss Swan?”

Emma looked up and met Regina’s unrelenting gaze, something Regina’s training over the last few weeks made her nearly incapable of. She could read the truth there easily, though: Regina would enjoy either. Emma knew she would hate either option, that both would humiliate her in front of her friend. Which would be the least painful for Casey to watch, then? She thought of the lovemaking she’d shared with the redhead, tender even as they’d tentatively explored power exchange together, and knew she had no choice at all.

“The whip,” she managed, her voice little more than a whisper.

“What was that? Speak up, Miss Swan,” Regina instructed. Emma swallowed hard, and forced out the words she knew Regina wanted to hear.

“Please use the whip on me, Regina.” The slow smile that spread across Regina’s lips made Emma’s knees literally buckle, and she gripped the chair to keep from falling.

“Very well. Against the wall.” Regina gestured to a space on the wall opposite the bed, and Emma moved to it quickly, not daring to glance at Casey.

“I’m not staying here for this. I’m not going to help you torture her, Regina.” Braced against the wall, Emma could hear the bed shift as Casey moved to stand. Part of her wanted to cheer, to tell Casey to go, to just end this; another part of her remembered the feeling of Alex trembling in her arms, her whole body shaking and sweaty as she woke from a nightmare. And still another part of her remembered the feel of Regina’s fingers between her legs, stroking, the tiny morsels of kindness the brunette had doled out over the last weeks, and felt something twist at the thought of losing it. She said nothing, hoping that Regina would take her silence as obedience.

“If you leave, the whole school will know about Alex’s...relationship, with her stepfather. In very specific detail. I don’t think Emma or Alex will forgive you for that any time soon. You are the one who was glaring at me and muttering under your breath in the hall. So sit down, and watch what happens when people defy me.”

There was a long pause before Emma heard the squeak of bedsprings indicating Casey had capitulated. Her breath whooshed out of her, possibly in relief.

She sensed Regina move close to her, then, and felt the brunette’s hand twist in her hair. She hissed in pain, but welcomed it, let the pain steady her. She felt Regina’s breath on her neck as she murmured into her ear.

“You know what I wanted, Miss Swan. I would have let you come for me, too. Harder than you knew was possible. Instead, you chose the whip. You think of that, every time I lay it across your back, Miss Swan.” Regina released her and moved away, and Emma felt her body lean towards the empty space where she had been.

“Go ahead and go to your elbows,” Regina said matter-of-factly. “Your arms won’t hold you by the time I’m done.”

Emma did so, feeling the knot of dread in her stomach increasing. She knew Regina liked the way she looked braced on her arms, liked it even more when they began to tremble and Emma had to fight through pain and muscle fatigue to maintain her position or risk further punishment. If Regina was allowing her to start on her elbows...

Emma didn’t get a chance to finish the thought. The flogger hissed through the air and snapped across her back in a blinding wave of pain. She moaned as the pain crested, reaching its climax a few moments later - just as Regina swung the flogger again.

Regina was slow, deliberate, and very, very thorough. It was her first time using the flogger on Emma, and she wanted Emma to feel it for days, wanted to see her flinch just at the mention of the implement. She worked from Emma’s shoulders all the way down to the hollows of her knees and back up again. Emma’s jagged breathing broke into sobs when Regina reached her still-tender buttocks, but Regina didn’t even pause. She’d been expecting as much, and wanted both Emma and Casey to get the message that she was completely unmoved by the blonde’s tears - it was almost true, too.

Red lines crossed and criss-crossed Emma’s normally creamy skin, and Regina could see that the skin was broken just slightly in places along the sides, where the tips of the flogger had bitten into the skin. Perfect. So far Emma had maintained her pose well, the past weeks having taught her not to move when Regina was hurting her. Ever. Regina doubted she’d be able to stay as still for the rest, though.

“Well, I think you’re sufficiently warmed up,” Regina said, breathless from exertion. Casey swore quietly behind her, and Emma’s sobs increased. No one bothered to argue, though, which pleased Regina greatly. “I’m going to whip you as hard as I can for 30 seconds. But if you move, I’m going to do it again. And again and again, until you get it right, is that clear?” Casey swore again, but Emma only nodded - it was a game Regina played with her often, and Emma seldom gave her cause to start over any more.

“Casey, act as timer, please,” Regina instructed.

“Fuck,” Casey said, dread in her voice. “Don’t do this, Regina. Please.”

“I’m going to begin. But by all means, take as long as you want to start the timer.” She tossed Casey her watch, smirked. “It’s no skin off my back, after all.”

Emma braced herself against her elbows, dropping her head to her hands and trying not to think about anything but making it through the next 30 seconds without moving enough that Regina would start over. At the first blow, a muffled scream tore from her throat, and the second blow was right on its heels. She pressed her mouth to her forearm, and the scream broke into a sob that became nearly hysterical as the blows continued to rain down, fast and hard. Emma pressed herself against the wall in a fruitless attempt to escape the lash. She felt something hot trickle down her back, and squeezed her eyes shut, a stream of apologies and pleas slipping from her lips as the lash fell relentlessly.

“Thirty seconds!” Casey practically yelled, her voice frantic. “God, that’s enough, please!” The blows stopped, but the pain didn’t. It continued to overwhelm Emma’s body and senses, and she sank to her knees, a voice she didn’t recognize as her own still begging Regina to stop.

Regina looked down at Emma, feeling an emotion she could only name as regret. Her chest rose and fell as she struggled to regain her breath, and her eyes were drawn to the rivulets of blood trickling down Emma’s raw skin.

Regina turned furious eyes on Casey.

“You can go now. But if you ever look at me like that in the hall again, I’ll do this to her again. I won’t invite you to watch next time, but you’ll be able to tell every time you see her try to move for the rest of the week. Now get out,” Regina’s voice snapped with anger, and Casey fled.

Regina turned her attention back to Emma, still hysterical and kneeling on the floor. She knew she should punish her for dropping to her knees without permission, but she also knew she wasn’t going to. She doubted Emma even realized she had done so.

Instead, Regina surprised herself by scooping the smaller woman up, which was far too easy due to the weight she’d been losing, and laying her carefully on her stomach on the bed. Emma groaned as the movement pulled at her still forming welts, and Regina felt her stiffen when she was laid on the bed.

“No, please, please, Regina, no more. I can’t, I’m sorry, please I need a minute, I can’t, I’m sorry.” The torrent of pleas escaped Emma in a single breath, and Regina realized the blonde thought her position meant Regina was going to beat her more. Regina felt tears sting her own eyes at the broken sound that was Emma’s voice, and, against her better judgment, her hand stole out, stroking Emma’s hair out of her face.

“Hush. No more right now. You did well.” Emma silenced at Regina’s first word, but her muscles didn’t go slack until the last, and her tears continued to soak Regina’s pillow.

Busying herself to avoid any further acts of tenderness, Regina moved away from the bed and found a clean washcloth, which she wet in the small sink. Emma hissed, and fresh sobs shook her shoulders as Regina used the cloth as gently as she could on her back, wiping the blood away and cleaning the split skin. Emma didn’t move otherwise, though, and Regina felt a surge of pride at how well the blonde had adapted to Regina’s training and demands in such a short time. She had to rinse the cloth several times, but by the time she was almost done, Emma’s body was slack, only the occasional sniffle coming from where her face was buried in the pillow.

“You’ll stay here tonight,” Regina said when she knew Emma was calm enough to hear her.

“C-Can’t. Alex will worry.” Regina rubbed the wash cloth a little more firmly than was necessary.

“She’ll be okay.” Regina’s voice was a gentle reproof. She found she actually couldn’t bear to be any harsher with Emma right now, and that surprised her. “You can’t go back to her like this.”

Emma winced at the press of the rough cloth, but she knew Regina was right. If Alex saw these welts...and Emma didn’t have the emotional energy to fight her right now, either. She allowed herself instead to be subsumed by Regina, her will, her touch, her dubious mercy - and within a few minutes, Emma had fallen fast asleep.


End file.
